A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
Gothic Horror/Suspense
Published January 20, 2026, by Berkley
ARC

Review by Angela

Simone St. James takes readers back to Fell, New York, the setting for The Sundown Motel, and introduces them to the Esmie siblings. Violet, Vail, and Dodie grew up in Fell, with absentee parents and only each to rely on. Their one bright spot was their little brother Ben, who they lovingly took care of since the moment he arrived. Then at the age of six, he simply disappears while playing hide and seek. His siblings have felt that loss since, and dealt with their trauma in different, but destructive ways. But they also have abilities that have tormented them throughout their adulthood; Violet sees ghosts, Vail is convinced the terrors of his childhood were aliens, and Dodie has nightmares where she’s surrounded by water and drowning.

Then one day Violet gets a call from the landscapers who take care of the abandoned Esmie family home, informing her that they are quitting after seeing the ghost of a small boy. Violet knows it’s Ben, and she and Vail and Dodie must go back home and find out what really happened to him all those years ago.

It was good to be back in Fell, the location of The Sundown Motel, my very first Simone St. James’ book which sent me on a quest to read her entire backlist. There are several easter eggs, and even a reference to The Broken Girls. Kind of like coming back home. This book is told in alternating POVs, each sibling playing a role in discovering the truth of Ben, his disappearance, and why their lives have always revolved around their “gifts”. I will admit that a good portion of the middle of the book was a little slow, but I loved the back and forth between all three of them, reclaiming their places within the family and remembering their childhood with Ben.

The buildup to solving the mystery, and how they all play a part in it, was well done. I was breathless as they discovered the truth of the past and how to let Ben finally rest. I also enjoyed the epilogue, showing the decisions each of them made for their future, and how finding the truth enabled them to come back together as a family, while still moving on emotionally.

All in all, this is yet another great gothic mystery by this author.

Final grade- B